This report (10th Edition) provides 280 statistical tables and 27 charts
for the fixed-line, Internet and broadband activities for the major 42
African countries.

Fixed-line

While being the world's most rapidly growing market for mobile
telephony, Africa is also home to some of the fastest growing fixed-line
markets in the world. Roughly half of the continents 54 countries had
positive growth in the fixed-line sector in 2011 and at least seven of
them saw double digit growth rates, while in some of the other markets
fixed lines are rapidly being replaced by mobile phones. However, as
lower income groups are being targeted, a price-sensitive market for
lower-cost fixed or limited-mobility services has emerged, and a surge
in demand for internet access and broadband capabilities is accelerating
this fixed-line renaissance.

Problems with vandalism and copper theft have led many telcos to
substitute traditional fixed lines with fixed-wireless solutions for
both voice and data services. For over 50 operators across Africa,
CDMA-2000 has been the technology of choice for this market segment,
which supports broadband data rates with an upgrade to EV-DO standard.
It also supports full mobility, and converged licensing regimes in a
growing number of countries are now allowing these operators to move
into the mobile sector as well. Foreign investors are scrambling for
positions in this very lucrative market as liberalisation continues,
national telcos are being privatised and new operating licenses issued.

Large parts of Africa have gained access to international fibre
bandwidth for the first time via submarine cables in recent years. In
other parts of the continent, additional fibre systems have brought
competition to a previously monopolised market. This has led to massive
investments into terrestrial fibre backbone infrastructure to take the
new bandwidth to population centres in the interior and across borders
into landlocked countries. However, satellite will continue to play a
significant role in reaching Africa's extensive rural and remote areas.